South Dakota 

-- •> 

Geological and Natural History Survey 

Freeman Ward, State Geologist 


CIRCULAR 6 



,4 


$ \ 


BY 

FREEMAN WARD 


University of South Dakota 
Vermillion 
November, 1919 










INTRODUCTORY NOTE 

One of the many effects of the war was the restriction placed on 
the importation of the English and French chalk. To meet this situa¬ 
tion an attempt was made to utilize the domestic chalk. 

Early in the fall of 1918, through the courtesy of the Yankton Com¬ 
mercial Association, the State Survey was supplied with a quantity of 
chalk rock for experimental purposes and the work was started. The 
termination of the war removed the necessity for an immediate solution 
of the problem, so little has been done since. Although the investigation 
is by no means complete, yet the facts so far determined are considered 
to be of sufficient interest to be published in the hopes of stimulating 
further investigation and perhaps of starting a new industry in the state. 


. . USES 

Chalk rock has been used in this state for building stone, for mak¬ 
ing lime, and, when mixed with shale, in the manufacture of cement. 

Chalk may also be used, directly or indirectly, in the manufacture of 
whiting, paint, kalsomine, putty, rubber, leather, picture- frame molding, 
gunpowder, oil cloth, roofing cement, and possibly other things. It is 
this second set of uses for which the English and French chalk has been 
imported. 

Whiting is the basis of the manufacture of most of the other things 
listed. It is of several grades. It may be merely the finely powdered 
chalk. The better grades receive additional treatment for the purpose 
of improving the texture, removing grit, etc., and have special trade 
names. 


OCCURRENCE 

The chalk rock is technically known as the Niobrara Chalk and is 
of Cretaceous Age. It rests upon the Benton Group and is overlain bj 
the Pierre Shale. It outcrops extensively along the Missouri River from 
Yankton up to and beyond Chamberlain, being a prominent member oi 
the bluffs bordering that stream. It is found as scattering outcrops 
east of the river, and also as a more or less continuous band nearly en¬ 
circling the Black Hills to the west. It has been struck in digging 
many of the wells in widely separated parts of the state. Presumably, 
then, it may be considered as an essentially flat or gently undulating bed 
(averaging 150 feet in thickness) underlying nearly the whole of South 
Dakota, and outcropping at the surface at many localities, the chief ones 
of which have been indicated. 

For the most part it is heavy bedded. But it may be thin bedded 
and locally has shaly members present. 'This shaly character is more 
common in the western than in the central and eastern part of the state, 

THE INVESTIGATION 

Since the South Dakota chalk occurs in practically unlimited quan¬ 
tities and since it is readily accessible at many points in the state, the in- 

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

DECEIVED 

JAN 11 1921 

j DOCUMENTS DIVISION 











VvX 

. 

HI 


I WHS 
C 5" W 3 


vestigation was concerned primarily with the problem as to whether 
the chalk was of the proper quality to serve as a substitute for the 
foreign chalk. 

The specifications as to quality apparently have never been clearly 
defined. While the composition of the chalk is important, a chemical 
analysis alone will hardly be an adequate criterion of quality. Chemical¬ 
ly the South Dakota chalk while not quite as pure is not vastly different 
from the foreign chalk. 

But the physical qualities, color, texture, etc., seem to be more im¬ 
portant in controlling the value and usefulness of the material. A few 
of these physical qualities may be told on inspection, but most of them 
cannot be determined without special equipment, or can be ascertained 
only by actual trial of the material in manufacture. 

To this end a number of manufacturers were approached and were 
found willing to experiment with our material. Their desire to help 
in the problem was very gratifying and the matter was progressing 
very satisfactorily at first. But as soon as the war pressure was remov¬ 
ed they lost interest. As a result, a number who had promised to experi¬ 
ment with our chalk dropped the matter at once. The investigation was 
further hindered because some of the manufacturers could not experi¬ 
ment with our chalk rock directly but needed the whiting made from 
the chalk. Our lack of equipment prevented us from preparing the 
grades of whiting desired and necessitated us again turning to outside 
aid for the manufacture of the whiting. 


THE RESULTS 

There is no doubt at all that a good grade of putty can be made 
from the South Dakota chalk. Putty made, in the Survey laboratory has 
proven suitable for ordinary uses. Two manufacturers report that a 
satisfactory putty can be made. The color is darker than ordinary 
putty and this is the one drawback to a perfect article. The color of the 
chalk prevents its manufacture into White Glazing Putty, but ( to quote 
from a manufacturer) “otherwise is possesses the same qualities as the 
whiting made from imported chalk.” And since so much putty work is 
covered by paint this color would not prevent its very general use. Nor 
would the color interfere in the making of oil cloth, picture molding, 
roofing cement, which articles require putty for their manufacture. 
Putty may be made from crude whiting (finely pulverized chalk). A bet¬ 
ter grade lighter in color can be made from the refined (treated) whiting. 
But none of it is white. 

While the crude whiting seems to be unsuited for the manufacture 
of rubber because it is somewhat gritty, the refined (treated) whiting is 
quite suitable. It has no substances injurious to rubber and is so reported 
by two manufacturers. A prominent Rubber Company says, “I believe 
we could use this material in rubber goods without difficulty but that 
it would command a lower price than the ordinary whiting because of 
its appearance.” The color again is objectionable, not because it in any 
way injures the quality or intereferes with the particular manufactur- 




mg process involved, but because the trade is used to a particular color 
and has some prejudice against a different shade. 

Refined whiting could be used in the manufacture of the darker 
tints of kalsomine, but its color would prevent its general acceptance 
by the trade. 

No experiments were run to test the value of our chalk in the manu¬ 
facture of leather or gunpowder. 

In conclusion—It seems clear that the South Dakota chalk is a raw 
material suitable for the manufacture of both putty (and things made 
from putty) and rubber. But we must recognize that there is a color 
drawback which in competition may have to be met by a lower price. 

At present, the industries using the bulk of the whiting are locat^ed 
in the eastern part of the United States. It is possible that the freight 
rates between South Dakota and the Atlantic seaboard may be a deter¬ 
mining factor in the exploitation of the chalk. 

Whether factories should be established in the state and the manu¬ 
factured articles themselves, rather than the raw material, shipped to 
compete with the eastern products is a matter that should be decided 
by the various commercial organizations of the state. 

FUTURE INVESTIGATIONS 

The Survey expects to continue the investigation—partly in the field 
searching for white and better beds of chalk, and partly in the labora¬ 
tory to see if the color defect can be overcome, and to find 1 other uses 
for the material. This investigation will be continued as soon as op¬ 
portunity and funds become available, both of which are lacking at 
present. Further efforts will be made also to secure the co-operative 
help of the manufacturers. 


Address all inquiries to the State Geologist 


i 




